DOS and windows will boot if there are more than one primary partitions of any type. Its just that dos/windows wants to be on the first primary partition. NT and 2000 will boot fine from other paritions. There can be a maximum of 4 partitions on a hard drive. These 4 or made up of primary and extended partitions. Typically 4 primary or 3 primary and 1 extended. That extended partition can have infinite (i am sure there is a max but i dont know it) logical partitions. You can not boot from an extended/logical partition. I believe as long as you have one parition that contains boot information for the other OS's you can get more than just 3 or 4 OS's on a box. Though I have never even attempted a 5-Boot system. I did have Win98, Win2000(unhidden FAT on a logical partition), BeOS 5 and Debian (Swap drive on logical partition) on one machine, but that got old quick. Now its just Win2000 and Debian. Correct me if I am wrong please. Munir Nassar wrote: > you seem to be correct... DOS/Windows 95/98 will not > even bootup if you create more than one primary > FAT/FAT32 partition...(get your hands on GNU parted > and try it out) > > -munir > --- Joshua Jore <moomonk at rogue.electricgod.net> wrote: > > Actually, I seem to recall that dos and win9x/me all > > want exactly one > > primary partition with everything else in one to > > four logical partitions > > in an extended partition. I've never actually had a > > problem with two or > > more primary partitions but there is a MS KB article > > citing possible data > > loss. I've alwaysb assumed that there is a rarely > > used part of windows > > that will do something spectacular if it finds the > > extra primary > > partitions. Of course, this only applies to (V)FAT. > > Primary partitions of > > other types are invisible as always. > > > > Josh > > > > ___SIG___ > > > > On Thu, 24 May 2001, Munir Nassar wrote: > > > > > not necessarily true, i usually put a /boot ext2 > > > partition at the beginning of the drive (back in > > the > > > days of the old lilo) and after that i put > > windows... > > > the only thing it really needs it > > > > > > A) it be a primary partition > > > B) there be no more than 4 primary partitions on > > the > > > drive (you can have more if they are hidden > > primaries) > > > > > > -munir > > > --- "Andy Zbikowski (Zibby)" <zibby at ringworld.org> > > > wrote: > > > > Windows will only boot from the first partition > > on > > > > the primiary hard > > > > drive. Though with some lilo tricks your can get > > it > > > > to boot off the first > > > > partition of any harddrive. > > > > > > > > | Andrew S. Zbikowski | Home: 763.591.0977 > > | > > > > | http://www.ringworld.org | Work: 763.428.9119 > > | > > > > | http://www.itouthouse.com | PCS: 612.306.6055 > > | > > > > | His power apparently lies in his ability to > > | > > > > | choose incompetent enemies. > > | > > > > | - Crow T. Robot, MST3K, "Prince of Space" > > | > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > > tclug-list mailing list > > > > tclug-list at mn-linux.org > > > > > > > > > > https://mailman.mn-linux.org/mailman/listinfo/tclug-list > > > > > > > > > ===== > > > -----BEGIN GEEK CODE BLOCK----- > > > Version: 3.12 > > > GAT GIT dpu- s:- a19 C++ UL P+ L+(++) E--- W+ N+ > > w(--) K? O-- M- V- PS+ PE-(--) Y-- PGP-(---) t 5+++ > > X R tv-- b+++ D++ DI++ G e+ h+() r- y+ UF++ > > > ------END GEEK CODE BLOCK------ > > > > > > __________________________________________________ > > > Do You Yahoo!? > > > Yahoo! Auctions - buy the things you want at great > > prices > > > http://auctions.yahoo.com/ > > > _______________________________________________ > > > tclug-list mailing list > > > tclug-list at mn-linux.org > > > > > > https://mailman.mn-linux.org/mailman/listinfo/tclug-list > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > tclug-list mailing list > > tclug-list at mn-linux.org > > https://mailman.mn-linux.org/mailman/listinfo/tclug-list > > ===== > -----BEGIN GEEK CODE BLOCK----- > Version: 3.12 > GAT GIT dpu- s:- a19 C++ UL P+ L+(++) E--- W+ N+ w(--) K? O-- M- V- PS+ PE-(--) Y-- PGP-(---) t 5+++ X R tv-- b+++ D++ DI++ G e+ h+() r- y+ UF++ > ------END GEEK CODE BLOCK------ > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Yahoo! Auctions - buy the things you want at great prices > http://auctions.yahoo.com/ > _______________________________________________ > tclug-list mailing list > tclug-list at mn-linux.org > https://mailman.mn-linux.org/mailman/listinfo/tclug-list